Israel 'torture' victim's funeral focuses anger

Date: February 27 2013

Ruth Pollard

SAAER, West Bank: As the men carrying her husband's body drew closer and the sounds of anguish from the thousands of mourners outside grew louder, Dalal Jaradat, three months pregnant with their third child, rested her head on her two-year-old son's and wept.

Arafat Jaradat, 30, was arrested on February 18 on suspicion of throwing stones at Israeli soldiers. He died on Saturday in Israel's Megiddo Prison after days of interrogation by Israel's internal security service, Shin Bet.

A handful of masked gunmen, believed to be from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades - an armed wing of the Fatah movement - fired into the air at his funeral, vowing to ensure his death was not in vain. Some media reports indicated that Mr Jaradat was a member of the brigades.

Senior Palestinian Authority officials say the autopsy revealed his body showed signs of torture, including broken ribs and injuries to his neck, spine, arms and legs.

At first, Israeli prison officials said he died of a heart attack. Then a statement released from the Ministry of Health on Sunday night following the autopsy read: ''Two internal haemorrhages were detected, one on the shoulder and one on the right side of the chest. Two ribs were broken, which may indicate resuscitation attempts. The initial findings cannot determine the cause of death.''

''The investigation is ongoing,'' said Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr Jaradat's funeral followed days of protests over Israel's treatment of the more than 4500 Palestinian prisoners in its jails. At least 150 people were injured in clashes between protesters and Israeli soldiers.

Many in Israel feared conditions were ripe for a third uprising, or intifada. Amos Gilad, an Israeli defence official, told Army Radio on Monday: ''It looks as if the Palestinian Authority is trying to walk a delicate tightrope: both raising unrest and displays of violence and not wanting the matter to spin out of control.''